Assigned to TAT AS PASSED BY COW
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1097
truck routes; designation
Purpose
Requires the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) or a local authority to
demonstrate that a vehicle of legal size may not safely operate before an ordinance or resolution
enacted on or after January 1, 2020, may restrict or prohibit a vehicle from operating on a major
arterial street that connects two or more local jurisdictions. Allows a person to request the review
of a route restriction and requires local jurisdictions to conform to state-level determinations.
Background
If a highway, by reason of deterioration, rain, snow or other climatic conditions, will be
seriously damaged or destroyed unless the use of vehicles on the highway is prohibited or the
permissible weights of vehicles are reduced, the Director of ADOT (Director) or a local authority
may, by ordinance or resolution for no more than 90 days in a calendar year, prohibit the operation
of vehicles on the highway or impose restrictions on the weight of vehicles operating on the
highway. The Director or local authority must place appropriate signs on the affected portion of
the highway to give notice of the prohibition or restriction (A.R.S. § 28-1106).
A major arterial street is a street or highway used primarily for through traffic in such a
manner that vehicular traffic from intersecting streets and highways is required by law to stop or
yield before entering or crossing the street or highway (A.R.S. § 28-6531).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires, for ordinances or resolutions enacted on and after January 1, 2020, ADOT or a local
authority to conduct a test drive or apply a vehicle template that shows a vehicle of legal size
may not safely operate on a highway that is a major arterial street that connects two or more
local jurisdictions before restricting or prohibiting a vehicle of legal size from operating on the
highway.
2. Prohibits, if a vehicle of legal size may not safely operate on a major arterial street, the Director
or local authority from granting exceptions to a restriction for categories or types or groups of
routes.
3. Prohibits a highway that does not have a truck restriction prior to being annexed or otherwise
transferred to a local authority from being incorporated into an existing truck restriction
enacted on or after January 1, 2020, unless ADOT or a local authority demonstrates that a
vehicle of legal size may not safely operate on the highway. FACT SHEET – Amended
S.B. 1097
Page 2
4. Nullifies a truck restriction on a major arterial street that does not provide through access
between two or more jurisdictions before January 1, 2023, and is subsequently improved from
and after December 31, 2022, to provide through traffic between two or more jurisdictions,
unless:
a) ADOT or a local authority demonstrates that a vehicle of legal size may not safely operate
on the highway;
b) a local authority notifies by certified mail all active statewide associations registered for
lobbying purposes with the Secretary of State that primarily represent trucking interests
of the new through traffic connection and obtains a letter of support from all of the
associations; or
c) the subsequent improvement is located a mile or less from a reasonable alternative route
that provides a through access or connection to the other jurisdictions without restrictions.
5. Allows a person to submit a written request to the Director to review any route restriction
enacted on or after January 1, 2020, for a vehicle of legal size.
6. Requires the Director to act on a review request within 90 days of receipt.
7. Prohibits a local jurisdiction from restricting a major arterial street that is determined to be safe
by the Director.
8. Requires, to comply within 90 days of the effective date of this legislation, a local authority to
repeal or amend any ordinance passed on or after January 1, 2020, that conflicts with the
outlined route restriction requirements.
9. Deems, as invalid, any ordinance that is not brought into compliance within the designated
timeframe.
10. Defines a reasonable alternative route as a highway that does not restrict or prohibit a vehicle
of legal size from operating and does not directly connect to a highway under the jurisdiction
of another local authority with an immediate adjacent existing restriction or prohibition.
11. Defines safely operate as a determination based on a test drive, traffic engineering study or
application of a vehicle template that a vehicle of legal size may operate on a highway that is
a major arterial street without causing a significant and clearly evident safety problem in
relation to a vehicle of legal size.
12. Specifies that a major arterial street includes:
a) a principal arterial street;
b) any arterial street, if a local authority does not distinguish between major and minor
arterial streets;
c) any arterial street that has access to a freeway, a controlled access highway or the national
highway system;
d) any arterial street that has a bridge along its route; and
e) any arterial street that is designated as a major arterial street in an adjoining jurisdiction.
13. Defines a truck restriction and a vehicle of legal size.
14. Makes conforming changes.
15. Becomes effective on the general effective date. FACT SHEET – Amended
S.B. 1097
Page 3
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Applies the test drive or vehicle template requirement for restricting or prohibiting a vehicle's
highway-use to an ordinance or resolution enacted on or after January 1, 2020.
2. Prohibits a highway that does not have a preexisting truck restriction when annexed or
otherwise transferred to another local authority from being incorporated into a truck restriction,
unless a test drive or vehicle template is applied as prescribed.
3. Nullifies a truck restriction on a major arterial street that does not provide through access
between two or more jurisdictions before January 1, 2023, and is subsequently improved on to
provide through traffic between the jurisdictions, unless:
a) a test drive or vehicle template demonstrates unsafe highway operation;
b) the local authority obtains a letter of support from all active statewide associations
registered for lobbying that primarily represent trucking interests; or
c) the subsequent improvement is located a mile or less from a reasonable alternative route
that provides a through access or connection to the other jurisdictions without restrictions.
4. Defines reasonable alternative route, safely operate and truck restriction.
5. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Senate Action
TAT 2/27/23 DP 6-1-0
Prepared by Senate Research
February 28, 2023
KJA/CB/sr